Artisan Food Paradise Comes to the North Shore

Jenn and Charlie Mastropaolo are nothing if not ambitious. While the food hall trend has swept much of the nation–23 opened in 2015 alone–it hasn’t quite made it to Long Island. Until now. The Mastropalolos who can trace their hospitality roots to 1916 when Charlie’s great grandfather bought a butcher shop in Brooklyn opened the closest thing to a food hall Long Island has in late 2015.

Named Red Maple Market, the artisan food lovers dream on the North Shore is a rustic welcoming space, one you’d be more likely find in Europe than the US. Wander around the store; to the gourmet cheese counter to the butcher to the premade foods area with its mouthwatering smells and the made to order section and it’s impossible not to sample something, luckily the Mastropalolos encourage trying the food.

image: facebook.com/redmaplemarket

“Go nibble. We always have samples,” Charlie said handing me a sample of Moliterno, a creamy strong cheese with truffles in it.

“We try to bring products together for guests to experience that you wouldn’t normally find,” Jenn added.

The husband and wife team has more than 12 years of experience in the food marketers, importers and restaurant industries. And they are well traveled. Red Maple Market reflects those influences. It’s a highly curated, ever evolving selection of foods they’ve found and wanted to share.

“We think of it as having a keen eye for supporting local artisans,” Charlie said. “There’s honey from the Hudson Valley we found going to a farmers market, Sail Away Coffee, Allie’s Gluten Free Cookies, Marky Ramone hot sauce—it’s the best out there.”

Much as you would experience at a food hall, Red Maple Market will introduce you to your new favorite ingredient and you’ll be able to purchase that ingredient and other grocery items to make your own delicious meal at home. Connecting all the different areas are the café tables spread throughout the market where you can sit and enjoy coffee, a meal or simply wait while that made-to-order item is prepared.

“If you’re shopping for a steak we can do it right up,” Charlie said. And if you’re unsure of what to order the couple is always up for making suggestions. It’s one of the things they love about owning Red Maple Market. For breakfast their pick is the farmhouse croissant with Applewood Bacon, eggs and cheese. For lunch it’s got to be the Cuban 18 hour roasted pork, ham gruyere cheese, dill pickle and Dijon on Cuban bread.

“We’re just really happy to have people in for good food,” Charlie said.

On one wall hangs a photograph of Charlie’s great grandfather outside the meat market in 1916. 100 years later Charlie and Jenn are providing something similar.